|
|
By LARRY VAUGHT
Jon Hood didn’t do anything flashy Wednesday, and that was fine with Kentucky coach John Calipari.
“Jon Hood, that is the best he can play,” said the UK coach after Hood scored 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting in the Blue-White Game. “He’s not listening to somebody tell him how to play, he knows what his game is now. So he takes that 7‑footer. He’ll run and do things that he can do. He’s getting his legs back. I was happy for him.”
Hood missed all of UK’s national championship season because of an offseason knee injury and this was his first time in a game-like setting since the end of the 2010-11 season. He had five assists, three rebounds and one steal to go with his scoring.
“It feels good to get out there and play, first and foremost. What I did on the court was good. I played within myself and everything. I did all the things that coach asked me to do, but I was just happy to get out there and play,” Hood said. “I could not stop smiling the entire time.
“ Jarrod (Polson) looked at me and the White team had been on a bit of a run, and Jarod looked at me and said ‘Why are you smiling?’ and I said ‘Because I get to play. Last year I was watching you guys play.’”
Hood was on the Blue team that opened the game playing against Ryan Harrow, Archie Goodwin, Nerlens Noel, Kyle Wiltjer and Alex Poythress, the expected starters. Yet Hood’s team raced to an early lead and won the game even with Calipari juggling lineups.
“We came out ready to play. The White team had a lot of young guys and we had an old man. We had Julius (Mays) and he knows how to play. He knows how to prepare for a game. He has done it his entire career,” Hood said. “We were ready to play and jumped on them from the start and got them on their heels.They did a good job recovering.”
Hood has also from his ACL surgery last summer.
“The knee is 100-percent. It gets sore, but if any of you guys ran on the court for five minutes, your knee would be sore, too. My knee is perfectly fine. I ice it a couple of times a day, but everything is fine,” Hood said.
8 Responses to UK coach John Calipari says Jon Hood knows what his game is now and it showed
Leave a Reply
Blue Zoom Radio Show
Polls
Loading ...Choose Your Favorite!
I thought Hood played like I believed he could all along. I think he will help this year.
Hope Jon puts together a solid year. That would really help our depth. I always like to see a home-grown kid be a contributor.
Was great seeing Jon happy and seeing his teammates happy for him
I would like to see Hood end up another Miller that would be great
Cameron Mills comes to mind for me, a local kids who blossomed and helped big time at the end of his career.
How do you equate Hood with Miller? I have seen it posted before. Ridiculous. Hood is not in the same class of player. John looks much better than he did two years ago. Kentuckians always want to see thier in state players have great careers. No matter how much Hood improves, he will never make an NBA roster and will be very lucky to get a contract from a team in Europe. That doesn’t mean he can’t get minutes in college and help his team.
I would like to see Patrick Towles connect with Aaron Boyd, the senior from Lexington, a boatload of times to close out the season. But, even if that far fetched dream did happen, I would never equate Boyd with Stevie Johnson. He just isn’t the same type of player.
During his playing days at madisonville high school Twice i try to see him play against my home town school Henderson Co. that i graduate from and both times he was hurt. so i”m anxious to see what he can do for the cats.
I was so proud for him. His mother and grandmother were at the Women’s Clinic again this year. Did he get a championship ring? I certainly hope so.